Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-11-22

room OF the State Department this afternoon.
The meeting commenced a few minutes after 2
O'Clock. AL the members were present. Mr..
Bergne and Third Assistant Secretary of state
Moore VIII act as secretaries during the meet
ings OF the delegates. TO-day's sitting was held
with closed doors.
RAILROAD AGAINST BRIDGE.
Battle Going on ON the Banks Of the
Eastern Branch.
WHY WORK ON rHR NEW EASTERN BRANCH BRIDGE
Has BEEN sT0PPED-THE RAILROAD COMPANY PRE-
VENTS THE BRIDGE CONTRACTOR FROM BUILDING AN
ABUTNENT.
Work on the new bridge over the Eastern Branch
at the proiongation OF Pennsylvania avenue has
Deen suspended for while. This condition of
things ID owing to the action Of the Baltimore and
Potomac Railroad ofdcials in refusing to permit
tne prldge contractors to dig pit for the western
aputment OF the bridge at distance of six feet
from the westerly rail Of their tracks
"What Is the present condition Of the work on
the new pridge?" inquired a STAR reporter of Mr..
FRANK Conger, vice-president OF the Groton Bridge
company, which has taken the contract for build
ing the bridge. Mr.. Conger was seated at the time
~ tne uCtle frame shanty that has been erected
Ine west SIDE OF the Branch, and around him were
seated three men clad in wOrkmen'S clothes but
bearing no sign OF having recently labored.
WHAT THE BRIDGE CONTRACTORS SAY.
Mr. Conger repeated the inquiry OF the re-
porter ana said: "The work has stopped. The
railroad company has stopped 1t. The facts are
that we have been all ready for three weeks to
push ~ tne Work as rapidly as possible. The stone
lor the masonry work has been quarried and is
awaillng our order for shipment; the piles for
U aISng S are IN The river at the navy-yard waiting
here on two different occasions last week ready
10 Oegln work, but nothing could and has been
uone In idct we had everything in condition
have completed much or the preparstory work
had IL not been for the Interference OF the rail-
ROAD ROAD company Up to the present time all that we
nave uone, or Deen able to do, is to prepare the
causeway on the eastern side OF the river.
But we shall have TO stop work on the causeway I'm
aon Az week on account OF our inability TO put
oown tne aDutmant TO keep the dirt from washing
away There are about twenty carts and fOrty
IN M engaged IN this work, and they have now
Tue IlVeE Iney have 25O feet to run before the
bridge proper begins.
THE HISTORY OF THE DIFFICULTY
between the railroad company and the bridge con-
tractors Is this: About three weeks ago the bridge
company started to dig test pit for the western
a,o aoutmen1 IN order to see what kind OF foundl-
got IL dug before Col Hams, the United States en-
glneer1 In charge OF the work, had time to see IT,
and before we could notify MIN the Baltimore and
Potomac Railroad people came and nlled the mir
up. 'Why?' Well, they claimed It was on their
land But 1t was not That will maintain 10 the
Il
hcationS OF the contract that sEarthen embank
ments may be used If desired on the western an
proacn 80 arranged that either the foot OF slope
~ 10 or the lace OF an abutnenu VIII be feet
west or the westerly rail OF the Baltimore and PO-
tomac Railroad The railroad conn INV Claims
Iney own f5 feet on each side OF the center OF
tneiT Ioau. Inc Government permits them to Oc-
cupy the land which at that particular point is a
part OF pennsylvania avenue circle that Is 8
reservation, and has been for many years
AN APPEAL TO COL HAMS
"When the cOmpany StOnped 0ur worl, 7 uant tr
COL Hams Office and notified him OF the matter
and ne directed me to rest and not do anything
until he had communicated with the railroad
people Not receiving any word from them after
ing letter on the 18th instant: 4 desire that you
proceed with the construction OF the Eastern
Stahcn ordge as rapidly as possible. Ifinterfered
railroad, you Will notify me- Very respectfully,
"A day or two after I notified Col. Hams as
nave TOLD you before, Mr. Reed, the chief epQt.
neer OF the Baltimore and Potomac Co., Col Hams
Mr. Dunkely and myself went over the ground
eS 10 Hams n ssaked out the place where he
tnat the railroad company would not permit II TO
De put there and said that 1t must be 10 feet
farther back from the tracks or they would not
allow the work TO 20 on, Col Hams replied that
ne should build the bridge, and after some dis
cussion, we separated without having come to an
THE Work AGAIN STOPPED
snow, then on the 18th wrote to Col. Hams
the following letter, which fully explains what had
transpired:
referring to your letter Of the 10Th instant. re-
guessing that the work on the Eastern Branch
ndge ph g 0e proceeded with as rapidly as possible
anu 10 notify you II tnterfered with by the Offica
OF the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad. / have
tne honor TO inform you that we, this morning.
fS gang OF men at work digging the pithoe
IoI Ine western abutment, and about s a. m were
notlned by MI. Reed, engineer Baltimore and Poto-
M mac railroad Co., that the work must be stopped,
Our men continued the work OF excavation until
~ O'Clock, and while at their dinner the excaya-
IiOn was nlled up by employees OF the Baltimore
anu poIomac Railroad Co. AT O'Clock our men
put as last as dirt was thrown out by them IL was
snoVeied back by the railroad employees who were
,r 10 tae pls nlng IT, SO that it was impossi-
Dle Ior US 10 further continue the work. which is
suspended. We respectfully request that measures
aae casen by tne proper authorities to enable
peaceaDiy 10 proceed with the work OF cOnstruc-
Government " D'
THE NATTER UNSETTLED.
"This concludes the matter as far as we have
heard up to date. Col Hams has not vet replIed
to my letter, and cannot say what action win be
taken 6y him All we shall do Is to pile the stun
upon the ground as fast as possible, and the dam
ages we have sustained by the delay somebody
must pay: We have over $50 men at work in our
terms OF our contract It must be comnIeted bv the
1st OF next August. But our Intention and plan
was 10 nave the work done BY the lst OF June be-
|
ment TO build an iron wharf at Fortress Monroe.
The action OF the railroad company. therefore.
places US In an awkward position. and II
the delay continues much longer we will not
only De unable TO complete the bridge by
the 1st OF June, but may possibly not have it done
when the contract time expires In Aupllst In ad-
dltl0n 10 this We may also be unable to Law the
iron wharf at Fortress Monroe. You see the niles
nave 70 Oe driven into the water and cut OH at
about 20 inches below its surface and in a few
days IL may grow SO cold that we VIII be unable
70 geI men 10 go into the water. II this happens
then the entire work will come TO q standsItiL and
nothing can be done until next SUMMER NOT
taking all this into consideration the loss by the
delay mas been over 5000 and. OF course the
amount increases every day. But there is another
point which must be considered and It is this: n
the aDutment Is changed 10 feet further back from
where Col Halns staked its place ft win COM
pletely alter the plan Of the bridge which we are
building, and In fact the work that has been done
upon IL up 70 the present will be OF no value The
addition OF the 10 feet In the length OF the bridge
would necessttate an increase in the length of the
spans and, necessarily, the employment OF heavier
borhood OF $1,000 There Is an argument in favor
OF the removal OF the abutment back the 10 feet.
The ground where 1t is proposed to place It Is
treacher0us, and unQuestiOnably the ground back
OF IL Is much more solid and better able to support
the weight OF the structure"
Shot While Playing Crap.
fI6TOL Used 10 SETTLE DISPUTE OVER FIVE CENTS.
Sunday afternoon party Of negroes assembled
In Moore's Lane, next to Le Droit Park. and In.
dulged In game Of ~crap." After the game was
over Thos. Payne claimed that Chas Nelson owed
him cpnta nd dpa,d rya,~,. ,-,.,s